Decorated articles of ceramic or vetrified ware.



PATENTED MAR. 21, 1905.

J. R. ANDERSON. DECORATED ARTICLE OF CERAMIC 0R VITRIFIED WARE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. B. 1903.

NTTED STATES Patented. March 21, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

DECORATED ARTICLES OF CERAMIC OR VITRIFIED WAFE.I

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 785,534, dated March 21, 1905.

a Application filed January 8, 1903. Serial No. 138,262.

To /r/ZZ 1071/0721, it nto/y concern:

Beit known that I, JOSEPH R. ANDERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Decorated Articles of Ceramic or Vitriiied IVare, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to so construct a tile, plaque, medallion, or other article of vitreous or ceramic ware as to provide for the ornamentation of the same by means of a photograph or other picture in such manner that the tile or other object will closely imitate one having a picture drawn or painted thereon by hand and subsequently ii red or burned in. This object I attain in the manner hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a sectional View of a tile in accordance with my invention as it appears when in the condition known as biscuit ware. Eig. 2 represents the tile after the same has had a glazing compound applied to the face of the same, but before the glaze has -been fired. Eig. 3 represents the tile after the glazing' compound has been removed from that portion of the same to which the picture is to be applied. Fig. I represents a View of the'completed tile with the photograph or other picture applied thereto, and Eig. 5 illustrates another method of carrying out one step in the process of making the tile.

As before indicated, my invention is applicable to the production of tiles, plaques, medallions, or other articles of glass, china, porcelain, or other vitreous or ceramic ware, either large or small; but for convenience of description and illustration I will assume that the invention is to be embodied in the production of a china or earthenware tile or plaque.

The tile is first molded as shown in Fig. 1- that is to say, with the body 1 of any desired shape or size, but having a sunken central portion which is bounded by a groove 2, overhung by a portion 3 of the rim or border of the tile, this groove being formed while the material is in such condition that its formation is not difficult. If a glazed surface is desired, the properly-formed tile then has a glazing compound applied to the face of the same, as shown at 4 in Fig: 2; but as it would be impracticable to secure the back of the picture to the sunken face of the tile by glue or cement if said sunken face were glazed the glazing compound is removed from this part of the tile before firing the glaze, so that the sunken portion of the tile presents an unglazed surface, as shown in Fig. 3. After the glaze has been fired the back of the photograph or other picture 5 is covered with any suitable cement, and the edges of the picture being inserted into the groove 2 said picture is pressed against the unglazcd surface of the sunken portion of the tile until it has been caused to properly adhere thereto.l as shown in Fig. 4. By providing the photograph or picture with a highly-glazed surface the same will resemble closely the glazed surface of the tile, and as the edges of the picture are covered and concealed by the overhanging portion 3 of the tile I am thus enabled to produce at small cost a tile closely imitating the expensive tiles upon which a picture has been drawn or painted and subsequently fired. For the purpose of imparting the desired highlyglazed surface to the photograph or other picture I propose to face the same with a sheet of celluloid or other transparent iiexible material 6, as shown in Fig. 4, this being a simple and inexpensive method of attaining the desired result. My invention in its broadest embodiment, however, is not limited to the production of glazed tiles or other articles, but may be adopted as well in the manufacture of such articles without a glazed surface, or I may make the tiles or other articles of glass or other vitreous material in some cases.

When the picture is cemented to the unglazed and sunken central portion of the tile, the undercut groove 2 may in some cases be dispensed with.

The application of glazing material to the border portion of the tile only would be aslow and expensive operation. Hence this resultis effected by passing the entire face of thetile through a bath of the glazing compound and afterward removing the latter from the central sunken portion of the tile by wiping or otherwise; but, if desired, said central por- IOO tion of the tile may be protected by a sheet of paper or other material-such, for instance, as shown at 7 in Fig. -Which after the application of the glaze and before the firing of the same may be removed. A similar. sheet of paper or other combustible material may also be used for forming the groove 2 in the tile, the ductile clay being molded over the edges of said sheet of paper, which is destroyed by the heat to which the tile is subjected in burning the same.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent- An article of vitreous or ceramic Ware having a glazed face with depression therein, and a picture contained in the said depression, and having a face of Celluloid or like smooth, exible and transparent material, whereby it simulates the glazed surface of the article, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof` I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JOSEPH R. ANDERSON.

Witnesses:

F. E. BEoH'roLD, Jos. H. KLEIN. 

